At the beginning of February, TY students spent a week out of school doing Work Experience. A number of the TY students recount what they had to do.
Jonathan Sweeney: "For my work experience I did a week with the Garda Síochána. I was based in Blanchardstown Garda station which is known as the K district. It is the largest area and the largest garda station in Ireland. Each day we had a schedule of things that we where going to do. Over the course of the week we went to visit Templemore Garda Training College, the Garda Dog unit, the Horse unit, the Criminal Assets Bureau, the Drug unit and Garda Headquarters.
We got a presentation of firearms when we were in the Garda Headquarters and were also shown the type of firearms that Garda detectives have on their person.
Overall I enjoyed the experience and found it very interesting and would recommend it to other students if they have an interest in this sort of career."
Adina Kilroy: "For my work experience I went to St. James' Hospital Central Pathology laboratory. I started at 10am every day. On Tuesday I began at 9.30am as I was shown around all the different departments of the laboratory.
I began observing in the Microbiology department first. I was preparing agar dishes and slides of blood samples to be viewed under the microscope. I was shown all the storage rooms and I was in the rooms where agar dishes were made. After lunch I observed in the Histology lab. I examined various organs such as a section of a bowel and I was shown around the fridge where the various organs were kept. After, we looked at a post-mortem of a liver, where I looked under the microscope of samples I had taken from the liver for any signs of abnormalities.
On Wednesday I observed Haematology and blood-transfusions. I carried out and observed blood tests to find people's blood categories and studying blood cells for abnormalities.
On Thursday, it was my last day. I went to the Immunology laboratory and biochemistry laboratory. I observed the machinery techniques and I went around Intensive Care and other emergency departments refilling solutions in the machines.
I found my work experience really interesting and I loved being in the labs."
[Images: www.garda.ie, www.stjames.ie]
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